Between Heaven And Earth
by WS.Blue
Summary: A tale on how the 4th Hokage met Naruto's mother, Uzumaki Kyuubi.
1. Genin

**Author: **Between Heaven and Earth started out as a humble project to explain the origin of Naruto's birth mother, who I intended to let Kyuubi play that role. Then, the story went out of hand, giving birth to too many subplots, and a ridiculous amount of unnecessary characters. So on the 2nd of June, 2004, I rewrote the whole damn thing all over again, hoping to go back being a simple fic about him and her. This story was completed on the 8th of the same month. But occasionally, I will do a few grammar and plot amendment whenever I see fit.

**Chapter 1: Genin**_  
Last Updated: 05th March 05_

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Decades of forbidden wisdoms and sealed powers were being unrolled right before the eyes of the curious. His golden hair fluttered in the wind, his mouth opened to a wide grin, his eyes seeking the power. The kid randomly opened to an unmarked entry of the scroll, he read and performed the jutsu as shown, activating its ability.

As darkness engulfed him, Jiraiya watched in horror as his student melded into the shadows, becoming one with the night.

**x**

The lone moon hung in the darkness, accompanied by stars of unknown zodiacs. With the full moon as the backdrop, the kid materialised into existence, his own shadow was the first to reappear, followed by his silhouette. His golden hair and crystal eyes shined, reflecting off the moonlight, as his flesh crept slowly upwards from beneath, from within the depth of the shadows, merging themselves back onto to his bones, which were formed from the compressing of the very shadows themselves. His eyes opened in shock, a tingle of blood down the side of his lips from where he had bitten himself, and his hands crutching his neck, as if he was about to drown.

Grasping for air, the semi conscious kid took in one huge gulp of the new air. After finally realising that he could breathe again, he looked around, surveying his new surrounding, as the taste of blood lingered in the back of his throat.

The single moon was unusually large, as if it was about to come crashing down onto the earth; the stars were unfamiliar to him, baring no match with the astrology lessons he took. He cast his glace downwards onto the unfamiliar soil, he found himself to be standing on top of a rock, with a tree beside it, he scanned farther, in the distance, the trees were larger, or rather, gargantuan compared to the one beside him, each casting pitch black shadows onto the grassy surface.

"Are you Tsukikage-sama?" a curious voice came from behind him.

The Genin yelled in surprised, and quickly spun around to face the originator of the question.

Standing before him was a girl with shiny hazel hair, and with the most beautiful pair of ruby-like eyes; looking calmly at him, with a smile on her face. Her straight hair reached up to her shoulder, with a few strands of neatly combed hair coming over at the front, covering a bit of the sides of her chubby face. She wore a simple white plain dress, reaching just above her kneecaps, while her feet were left bared, with only a simple red ribbon tied around her left ankle.

The Blonde Genin unconsciously reached with one hand to the back of his head, scratching the invisible itch, further messing up his already untidy yet spiky hair. Smiling widely, he introduced himself, "No, I'm not Tsukikage, whatever that is, my name is Kazama Arashi, what's yours?"

Her face remained unchanged, with the gentle curious smile still on her face, she answered back, "Hi, I'm Uzumaki Kyuubi, nice to meet you too! Are you sure that you are not the Tsukikage-sama?"

"No, no, if I am, I will be sure to tell you," Arashi jested while laughing rather loudly. "Who's this Tsukikage?"

Placing her right elbow in her left hand, she put one finger up to her lips, apparently to think up of an answer. "Well, Tsukikage-sama is the Kage of our Hidden Village, the Hidden Moon, and the… I just thought that you are him, since you are appearing before me with such a beautiful full moon behind you. You look so beautiful!"

Arashi was entranced by her beauty; he had followed long enough under the tutorage of Jiraiya, the most pervert of all three Sannins, to be able to recognise a pretty girl like her when he sees one. His cheeks flushed rose red, as he realised that he had been staring at her all this time. He quickly corrected himself, pretending to be straightening his white jacket, he cleared his throat.

"Ahem, I'm new here, care to introduce me to your world?"

"My world…?" Kyuubi asked, uncertain of what the boy meant.

Arashi briefly recalled of what he read on the Hidden Leaf's Forbidden Scroll, the Kagetobi no Jutsu (Shadow Travelling Technique), the description was 'to enable the user to travel beyond into the _other_ world'. Was he really at the other world? Besides the huge trees, the huge moon, and the huge rock he was still standing on, there were nothing unusual compared to _his_ world.

Come to think of it, Arashi did not even consider of what might happened and cast the forbidden jutsu straight away. Arashi laughed nervously to himself, realising his silliness to not bring any snacks along for such a great journey.

"Well, I come from the other world! I found this scroll that got all these cool tricks, and found this jutsu to travel over here!" Popping his butt onto the hard rock, he sat cross-legged, petting the rock with his right hand, he waved with his left to ask the girl to sit beside him. "Come, let's chat."

Intrigued by his claim, Kyuubi quickly sat down to the right of the kid, swinging her legs over the edge of the big round rock there were sitting on. "Wow! Tell me about your world!"

"Let's see, I come from the Hidden Leaf, a shinobi village, though I guess you know what that is since you come from a Hidden Village as well. The country I'm from is full of old enormous trees, that is why we are the Hidden Leaf, though I can never figure out why our country is called Fire Country, since we don't have any volcanoes or anything."

"My turn! My turn!" shouted Kyuubi with her hand raised. Seeing Arashi nodding, Kyuubi went on talking about her country, Night Country, and of the two warring shinobi villages, the Hidden Moon and the Hidden Stars. Apparently, both villages were missing their Kages, one of which was the Tsukikage, and without their Kages, neither of them could win the war.

"War…?" Arashi curiously asked, only recently on his own world, a major war ended with another Hidden Village, somehow, Arashi could feel for the girl.

"Yeah, though I never get to see the war myself, I only heard about it, the war is still happening at a very far away distance, and I myself have never left this place before."

"You live _here_?" Arashi asked, as he looked around, at the trees and the occasional rocks.

"Oh, no, I live in a place beyond this forest, I like to come out here to play that's all." Casting her glance around the forest, she continued with a sad tone of voice. "But I really wish that I can go away from this place, everyone is expecting something from me, and they are not telling me anything, only holding me to the boundary of our residence," Kyuubi said eventually, her voice sounded sad and frightened both at the same time.

"Do you hate… this place?" Arashi asked.

"I feel like a prisoner, having no freedom in things, that's all. Otherwise, everyone was treating me great, giving me all the good food, nice dresses, and such."

"Let's go then…," Arashi suggested.

"Huh?" said Kyuubi, trying to reconfirm with what she heard, but even so, Arashi could see in her eyes that she was waiting for this.

"Is that why with your obsession with the Tsukikage? I heard that Kages can do great things, are you expecting the Kage to bring you away?"

Kyuubi nodded a little, but already Arashi could see her face brightening up, she wiped away her tears with the back of one hand, and placed her other hand on the right hand of Arashi. "Really!" she questioned.

"Yeah!" he said confidently. "I will bring you away from here, back to my world. Then, we can find some ramen! Watch some televisions, I will introduce you to my friends, and we can all play together!"

Kyuubi nodded rapidly, her eyes getting wet again from happiness. "Thank you, Kazama-sama!"

"Haha, no, no, don't call me that, just call meUrgh!" Arashi yelled all of the sudden as he felt the pain that pierced through his heart.

The frightened Kyuubi watched in horror as everything about Arashi turned darker in tone. As if a character being erased from an artwork, Arashi's edges blurred, blending themselves into surrounding colours. The blonde Genin reached his hands out, as if to try to grab hold onto something.

_It's happening again! I… can't… breathe… It's so dark… in here… Where… is Kyuubi? _

"Kazama-sama! Kazama-sama!" The hand that she left on his right hand passed through him, as she waved her other hand before her, trying to touch the disappearing kid.

Arashi reached out with one hand, with the other on his aching chest, struggling, he mumbled the name of the girl, "Kyuu-chan… Kyuubi…"

"Don't leave me here! You promised me that you will bring me away!" The girl wept as she cried out his name, she did not cry because of a broken promise, but because of fear of losing the only friend she might ever have. "Kazama-sama!"

The Genin faded away, his remaining shadow shrunk eventually, disappearing as well without a trace, leaving only the lonely girl behind.

**x**

Oxygen entered his lungs, as he finally regained conscious, he remembered what happened, of the girl he left behind. The voice of his teacher was behind him, his large hands on his shoulders.

"Kyuu-chan, I will be back for you," he sworn to himself, before collapsing onto the floor once more.


	2. Chuunin

**Chapter 2: Chuunin  
**_Last Updated: 05th March 05 _

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"Arashi! Come back here this instant!" the Toad Hermit shouted behind him, as the blonde twelve years old Chuunin ran, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, ignoring the complains of the people down below, whose heads he occasionally used as a stepping stone to reach higher rooftops. He turned around to stick his tongue out, before disappearing right in front of his mentor in a puff of smoke.

"Ah! Kage Bunshin again! That Arashi!" shouted Jiraiya (to no one in particular) as he stomped away angrily. "You will get it from me when you return, you ruined my 'observing' sessions with the girls for the very last time!"

Moments later, the side of the wall peeled off, revealing the young Chuunin in his usual red and white outfit holding onto a piece of wallpaper with the pattern of the brick behind him imprinted onto it. Arashi tossed the wallpaper away as he ran off in the direction of the woods.

**x**

It had been four years since his visit to Night Country, the eight years old Arashi fell sick immediately on his return, lectured by both his teacher and the Hokage, and was forbidden to ever come near to the Forbidden Scroll ever again.

Ever since then, Arashi had been visiting Kyuubi every once a month, whenever there was a full moon, since the spell only worked then. As the jutsu required immense chakra and stamina to create, and an even more taxing stamina to maintain the stay there, even at his current level, he could only stay at the other side for at most an hour before being sent back (usually unconscious).

Though separated by distance, and limited by the full moon, they did not stop meeting one another, and continued to be friends, in fact, a special relationship started to brew between them.

Once night approached, Arashi positioned himself at an empty training ground, he glanced around to make sure no one was around, before finally forming the hand seals, "Kagetobi no Jutsu!"

Darkness parted itself as Arashi walked through the passage into the other world.

**x**

Kyuubi waited patiently, with her attention on the book in her hands, at the very same place where they met four years ago, they would always meet once a month. Throughout the four years, Arashi had never failed in fulfilling his promise of returning, and the two of them had then since being together, having this strange long distance relationship.

Kyuubi grew up to be a young pretty girl, as much as Arashi had grown up in his own world. The boy now wore a mere larger version of the same clothing four years ago – a huge loose white coat that reached over to his knees, over a red high collared but sleeveless buttoned vest, and also wearing a pair of white pants with metal knee-guards decorated with his clan symbol, matched by a pair of red sandals.

While the girl changed from having just a simple dress to a more elaborated priestess-like attire, having white kimono overall, matched by a deep violet hakama, a divided skirt-like pants with multiple folds. Her waist-length hair was left untied, leaving them to dance in the movement of the wind.

"Yo! Kyuu-chan, what are you reading?" Arashi asked, as he materialised back on top of the very same rock he did four years ago. He took a step off the huge rock, landing onto the grassy surface. Kyuubi looked up, and slammed the book shut, and proceeded to land a kiss right on the lips on the boy in a surprise attack.

"WhWhat's that for?" Arashi took a step back as he touched his lips with the tips of his fingers.

The girl laughed softly, with the ever grace she always presented herself with. "I read in this book, that the people of your world, plant their lips on the one they love. I guess that my first kiss is now yours…"

Embarrassed beyond words, Arashi laughed nervously.

"Unless… your first kiss belongs to someone else already…" Kyuubi looked away from Arashi, dropping the book onto the grass, the other hand reached to cover her eyes from his sight.

"No! No, no, no!" Arashi defended, waving his hands before him awkwardly. "Eh…?"

Arashi stopped, with his hands still in mid-air in front of him, as he watched the girl trying to muff out a laughter with her hands. Finally, unable to control herself, Kyuubi laughed out loudly, falling onto her rear onto the soil, she rolled about wildly. As she calmed down, she positioned herself to a sitting posture with her legs kept together, "Rather _naughty_ of me to _play_ with you, aren't I?" With the smirk of victory still on her face, her tiny canine teeth revealed themselves.

"Kyuu-chan… Are you alright?" asked Arashi, as he approached and squatted before the girl.

"No… I'm… I'm fine," she said, but with the worried look still on her. "Arashi-kun, remember our promise, that we will run away to your world one day?"

"Yes, I know I'm useless, I just can not figure out the solution to bring you along…," Arashi replied sadly. He recalled the dozens or so attempts the two of time did back when they were younger, no matter which methods they could think of, they could not travel back to his world. Kyuubi tried casting the jutsu herself, had tried hugging tight to him when he teleport back, had tried reading the jutsu backwards, and had even tried to jump in when Arashi started to disappear. But each time, no matter how they hard they worked on it, only Arashi would return.

"Promise me, that whatever you are planning to do, do it quick," Kyuubi said in a pleading tone, with both hands together, as if wishing upon her Tsukikage-sama once more, to fulfil her only wish.

"Kyuu-chan…," asked the frightened Arashi, "Is there anything wrong?"

"I'm changing, sooner than I thought, within the month that we did not meet… I… changed, both mentally and physically, rather rapidly and sudden, all of these happened." Kyuubi said, as she lowered her head, hiding her eyes from the boy.

"Kyuu-chan… Nothing will stop me from likingloving you." Arashi gulped, feeling as he had taking one big step of commitment all of the sudden.

With her eyes still hidden from his, Kyuubi responded, speaking in a rather sinister tone of voice, giving Arashi all of the goose bumps all of the sudden. "There's something I must tell you, Arashi-kun."

The moment Arashi was afraid of, the truth.

"Arashi-kun, I am a…," Kyuubi said slowly.

"Demon?" he completed the sentence for Kyuubi, causing her gasped in surprise.

"You… knew?"

"Come on, Kyuu-chan, just as you have found out that I'm a mortal, I learned about the truth as well. We know each other for four years now, I'm disappointed that you didn't expect the better out of me," Arashi jested.

"I'm sorry that I kept this from you for so long. We… can remain friends?" Kyuubi asked uncertainly.

"We have been friends, even though you and I know about the truth. We can work out our physical differences," Arashi said with a smile.

"But I may not be able to hold out any longer… I changed more than you can imagine, my fangs… I suddenly have this craving for…" Kyuubi lifted a finger to her lips, as she bit hard on her index finger, drawing blood, and sucking on it. "Not just my breasts…"

Arashi blushed red as he saw the girl cupped her own growing bosoms, and quickly looked away.

"And I have gotten all furry down _there_…" Kyuubi continued.

The normal Arashi would have fallen backwards with blood gushing out from his nostrils, but in this tense moment, Arashi only had one thing in mind. As he struggled forward with weakened knees, he noticed that Kyuubi started to stand up all of the sudden, and pulled the knot keeping her _hakama_ together in one swift motion.

As the hakama fell apart, a single tail swooped in from the back, covering her private region.

_A tail! _

"You see… I'm changing," Kyuubi whispered, afraid of rejection from the boy.

"It doesn't matter, I said that nothing will make me think different of you," answered the boy, taking a step forward, one at a time, Arashi grabbed her shoulders in his hands, and kissed Kyuubi back.


	3. Jounin

**Chapter 3: Jounin  
**_Last Updated: 05th March 05 _

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The shadows stirred as the sixteen years old Arashi returned, as time after time as he did, for each month, they met, with their differences behind them.

"Yo!" Arashi greeted, with his usual enthusiasm.

Kyuubi placed the bookmark in-between the pages, and gently closed the book. Looking up from her book, she greeted the boy back. "Good night, Arashi. You are wearing your Jounin vest, just came back from a mission?"

"Just another rank A mission, nothing unusual," Arashi answered casually, as he allowed himself to be absorbed by her beauty.

It had been months since Kyuubi stopped wearing her priestess uniform, and had recently donned the attire fit for a princess, since then, she had been jokingly referred to by Arashi as 'Kyuu-hime'. Her white dress, decorated with silver designs of foxes and ravens dancing, almost covered every inch of her body, with a small hole at the back for her to slide out her five tails through, allowing her to move them freely without the constraint of the dress.

"Kyuu-hime," said Arashi, as he circled around Kyuubi, moving from one shoulder to another, as Kyuubi playfully turned away from Arashi, preventing the boy from seeing her face. "Let's take a dip down the lake like last time!" said Arashi as he teasingly played with her elongated furry fox ears.

"Like last time?" Kyuubi giggled. "And you ended up getting sick again?" Laughing slightly with her mouth covered with one hand, she presented herself with the every grace one princess would show to her knight.

"Well, I will learn from my mistake, this time, we take off our clothing first before we swim," Arashi suggested with a perverted grin on his face.

Kyuubi resigned to her fate, letting Arashi to lead her off in the direction of the gentle stream leading towards the lake. She laughed mentally, this was what she love about the kid, beside being a bit perverted, he was playful and carefree, just what she wished to see in someone who hoped to live together forever.

Suddenly Kyuubi halted for no reason, looking off into one direction towards the forest, she hissed out a quick warning. "Arashi, hide!"

_Damn, another one of the guards!_

Leaping in the thick canopy of the nearest tree, Arashi became motionless, effectively blending himself with the surrounding leaves and branches. In such distance, he could not hear what was going on, as a guard approached his 'princess' and said something to her.

Kyuubi said nothing, before walking back towards the rock, to retrieve her book. As Kyuubi and the guard walked off in opposite direction with their back facing him, she used her free hand to indicate not to wait for her.

When the two of them were gone, Arashi removed himself from the tree, cursing himself for such damn luck, and returned home.

**x**

When Arashi returned the next month, he almost yelled out in surprise, startled by masked shinobi before him. Before Arashi could take out his weapons, in preparation to navigate himself out of this tricky ambush, he noticed the curves on the body of this unarmed kunoichi.

"Kyuu-hime?" he asked, his hands still on the hilt his blades. His eyes wandered, spotting no fox ears, or tails, but for some reason, he was certain this was Kyuubi.

Taking the fox-faced mask off, Kyuubi revealed her painted face, smeared with red paint (or was it blood?) down the two cheeks, making the paint looked like fox whiskers. "Release!" the kunoichi commanded, and with a puff of smoke, Kyuubi returned to her half-fox appearance, though her attire remained.

The Hidden Moon shinobi attires were very much similar with those of his world, except that theirs were white from the top to bottom. Except for in her case, her boots were shaped in the form of beastly hind paws, her elbows and knees were protected by a bladed-guard each, and at the front of her uniform, was the symbol of the Hidden Moon, a dancing fox in the silver full moon.

"Kyuu-chan…?" Arashi asked one more time, he was uncomfortable with the look on her face, the intention to kill.

"Sorry, for appearing as such, I just came back from… a mission," Kyuubi coldly replied.

"I didn't know… you do missions."

"We better do not meet more, this will be the last time I will greet you here, and I cannot guarantee your safety the next time you arrive here."

"Kyuubi! What's wrong!"

"We should not meet any longer, you and I are two different beings, belonging to two different societies, two different worlds."

"But, didn't we go through this already!"

"I am a demon, and you are a human, how do you expect us to be together? You will age to a pitiful state, while I remained in eternal youth?" Kyuubi questioned.

Startled by her sudden aggressiveness, he could not believe what was going on. "That's not what it is about, isn't it? Answer me, Kyuu-chan!"

"Go, Arashi, and never return. I will kill you personally the next time we meet," said Kyuubi as she turned her back against the boy, leaving the scene.

While attempting to grab hold of her arm, a throwing knife came flying down, cutting his arm, causing him to retract his hand. Arashi scanned the surrounding area, and could not find the attacker.

"Go," Kyuubi commanded once more.

Believing that Kyuubi needed some time for herself, Arashi released his hold on the chakra, and immediately, he was slowly melding into the shadows once more.

Sensing the boy to be gone, Kyuubi turned, to look at the rock and the tree that the two of them had spent so much time. This whole hill was their playground, and along with the lake, there were many fond memories. However, fate did not look kindly onto the pair, realising the situation, Kyuubi was forced to make a choice, him or her people.

**x**

They never met since, each time he went over, he encountered Moon-nins, each of them so highly skilled, he barely make it back alive each time. As he trained himself for future encounters, he researched at the same time, secretly spending hours into the Forbidden Scroll, searching for an answer.

Eventually, years passed, finding himself too occupied with rank A and S missions, eventually Arashi stopped his visits more and more often. Finally, at the age of twenty, he was offered the seat of the Hokage, and it was then, that Kyuubi found him.


	4. Kage

**Chapter 4: Kage  
**_Last Updated: 21st June 04 _

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Dripping on his way through the door, Arashi hung his Hokage hat onto the hat stand, along with the heavy and wet Hokage coat. Thunders roared outside, and lightning flashed, the storm was sudden and heavy, so much as to that Chuunins were dispatched to aid a nearby flooding village.

As he was about to enter the living room, he noticed the sound of burning wood coming off from the fireplace, with a dagger ever ready by his side, he approached. The huge leather seat was positioned as to that the one sitting on it was not visible to Arashi, he didn't remember the original arrangement of the chair was on that spot, the intruder even moved and made himself comfortable while waiting.

Instinct told him that the intruder was not there to cause harm, and put away the dagger, and instead stupidly called out to him.

"Care for a drink?" he said, as he walked over to the drinking counter area instead, to pull out some warm drinks.

"Something warm please, the weather is freaking cold," the voice returned the query.

Freezing on the spot, Arashi turned on realising the owner of that sweet voice.

"I didn't know where I was when I first appeared here, but then I saw those photographs on top of the fireplace. Didn't know you are a teacher now, cute students you got there."

Running towards the speaker, he grabbed the shoulder of the chair, and spun it around to face him. "Kyuubi!"

Arashi gulped on what he saw right before him, the bleeding Kyuubi was clutching onto her injured arm, a nasty cut across from her left shoulder down to the right of her belly, revealing flesh and bones.

"Don't worry, Arashi-san, I can't die from just wounds, just need some sleep, that's all." With that, Kyuubi went quiet. Fearing death or coma, he checked her pulse, followed by lifting one of her eyelid to check on the eye. She was merely unconscious, but seemed to be doing fine for a dying demon, sighing in relief, he went to pour himself a drink, and get the first-aid kit.

**x**

Kyuubi had her feet in a basin of hot water, with her hands cupping a small cup of hot tea, as Arashi immodestly removed her bloodstained clothing. Peeling the layers of armours off, he checked on the main wound, it was already healing itself, but nevertheless, he decided to bandage it.

As the Hokage sanitised the gauze and bandage, Kyuubi started to explain how she got here, or rather, how she thought she got here.

"Sorry, about messing up the chair and carpet," she began. Arashi did not say anything, possibly to make things less awkward as he approached her naked breasts to begin bandaging her up.

"We were fighting, ambushed by the Stars-nins, and there were so much of them, we were outnumbered."

"Can't imagine demons to be fighting the same way we do."

"Hey, who's the one telling the story?" she chided quickly, in a rather pissed off manner.

"Sorry," Arashi said before shutting his mouth up.

"Anyway, for your info, only shinobi fight in humanoid forms, while the others, they usually fight in their true form, or maybe half form."

"True form?"

"Don't interrupt," Kyuubi snapped, hitting his wandering hands with one free hand. "And don't think about getting a free grope." Kyuubi was beginning to sound drunk, Arashi did not know anyone could get drunk from drinking tea.

"Anyway," pausing to hiccup once before continuing, "Anyway, to make things short, just when I was about to die under the hand of the Hoshikage, I started to think a lot about you, mainly."

"Mainly?"

"Then, I found myself outside your house, wet and cold, didn't know who was the unlucky bastard, but decided to break in first then ask the question later. Well, I don't know whether it's luck or fate… or a dream, or heaven, or an illusion, or…"

"Come on, Kyuubi, let's get you in bed," Arashi said as he helped her up, putting on what's left of her uniform.

"Ah bed, yes, bed, it has been a long time since we did _that_."

Almost chocking on himself, he knocked slightly on her forehead with his knuckles, and said, "No, not _that_, rest. Go to rest."

"Isn't that what you said before we first did it?" shouted Kyuubi, as Arashi helped her up the stairs.

**x**

_Kyuu-hime? _

Opening his eyes to mere cracks, he looked at the white ceiling of his guest room, of where he had helped Kyuubi to the last night. Rising from the bed naked, he recalled of what happened, of how in the heat of passion, they slept together, forgetting of her injuries.

"Kyuu-hime?" he called out, softly at first, wandering off from the bed naked, with the blanket around his waist. "Kyuubi?" he shouted this time.

He had lost her again.

Did she choose her world over him, once again? The truth frightened him, and consoled himself by telling to himself that maybe it was just a temporary journey, maybe something like Kagetobi no Jutsu. It suddenly dawned onto him, that they might never be together, fated to stay separated.

**x**

Months passed with no result in his search, since his last encounter with Kyuubi, Kazama Arashi made trips through the shadows time and time again, and each time arriving at the literally bared environment that once held dense forest. The surrounding woods were destroyed, the stream and lake dried up, and _their_ rock and tree gone, probably crushed to dust from whatever that hit this place. Emptied of hope, he wandered around several times to find the Hidden Moon, only to see nothing within miles.

Remembering the power of hope, he wished to see Kyuubi again, both in this world and his, but no matter what, he never saw her again. Until she found him again, dying at his doorstep, again.

**x**

"Has it been nine months already, dear?" half slumped down against the door, Kyuubi said. Her eyes covered with blood, Kyuubi could not open her eyes, and even without her keen sense of smell, she knew who it was that was standing before her, stunned in shock.

"Kyuubi!" Arashi cried out, immediately kneeling down to inspect her wounds. She was covered with scars and blood, with her thick cloak covered her whole body, and the hood hiding her bleeding forehead. Under such disguise, even he could not be sure whether she was in her half form or human form.

"Arashi… I guess, my wish worked again…"

"Hush, save your strength, you are going to be fine," he said, comforting his lover despite of the seriousness of her wounds. He lifted one arm over his shoulder and tried to carry her inside.

"No," she said as she pushed him away with the side of her body. "I… You… You must take this."

Shoving something into his hands, he looked down, surprised to see a sleeping baby with whispers-like scars on his face, wrapped in a small piece of cloth, with the symbol of the Hidden Moon on it.

"Kyuubi…"

"He is our son," trying to wipe off the blood rolling down from her head, that was disrupting her sight. "You must save him."

"From who?"

"From me, Arashi." Her eyes looked into his, and he could tell she was not joking around, but neither was she in the state to harm anyone. "Good bye, Arashi."

Kyuubi tried to leave, but with one arm still over his shoulder, she tried in vain to push herself away. With their son was still in his hands, Arashi balanced hard as he grabbed her arm and forced both the infant and his mother through the door.

"Let me go, Arashi, danger is seeking me!" screamed Kyuubi, still trying to push herself off his body.

"Just as I expected, you are being hunted! Tell me who, Kyuubi! I can help, I am still the Hokage of this village!"

"The Kages of this world are pitiful compared to ours! There is no way you can win against the Hoshikage!"

"Hoshikage again? Why does he time and time again hurt you?"

"Because I am the Tsukikage! It is our fate to kill one another! But I am not bringing down the life of our son with me!"

Arashi stopped his struggle, and so did she, as he looked at her battered body, realising that underneath the cloak, she was still dressed in her shinobi wear.

"I came here this time… Not to see you, but to save… him," Kyuubi said as she looked down at their son, still in his arms. "Only, you can save him, the Hidden Stars and the Hidden Moon destroyed one another in a millennium long destiny. Only the surviving Kage of the two villages can revive their destroyed lands, and the Hoshikage is not giving up, and neither am I, but I can't fight seriously with our son in the way."

"Fine, then add one more Kage to his game," Arashi said, determination in his voice. Turning around, still carrying the mother and son, he headed for the door, exiting this time.

"Stupid! Who will look after our son?" she shouted, beating him with her freed fist.

"Both of us," he stopped to say. "After we defeat the Hoshikage."

**x**

Half way in their track to Sarutobi-sensei's place, drained of energy from the lost of blood, Kyuubi stopped resisting and fell into a state of unconsciousness.

Channelling chakra to his right leg, he kicked the gates opened, sending the wooden doors and frames flying through the garden, crushing through the door of the main compound.

"Wake up, Sarutobi-sensei!" he shouted as he stomped through the rubbles.

Laying Kyuubi on the nearest cushioned couch, he rested the crying baby beside his mother. Seeing the Third walked down the stairs, Arashi said to the old man, "Sarutobi-sensei! Please, help me look after these two for me."

"WhWho are they? Hey! Where are you going? That brat…," Sarutobi shouted, failing to catch up with his successor, he walked up to the infant and his mother. Underneath the torn bloody shinobi clad were healing skins, wounds closing by themselves, similarly, the baby's scared cheeks slowly closed until they became mere lines on the otherwise perfect face.

_Demons?_

**x**

Kazama Arashi, Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, drew his kunai from the weapon pouching slinging at his side. Looking upwards towards the night sky, he could have sworn he heard something, soft fluttering of wings. Now just barely outside the boundary of the village, Arashi prepared for the fight, somehow, the Hoshikage followed Kyuubi here, hunting her from one world to the other.

A shadowy figure calmly walked into the scene without Arashi knowing, standing behind him, observing the human. Sensing the presence behind him, he quickly spun around, preparing to create a flame type jutsu to blast at the enemy, but he stopped, when he saw Kyuubi standing there.

"Kyuubi! What are you doWho are you?" Arashi asked, noticing her differences with the Kyuubi he knew, not only was her hair raven black, her skin was a lot paler. Also, her attire, though bloody and torn as well, was obviously black, unlike the Moon-nin's white. Feathery cloak covered her from shoulder to shoulder, and on her the front, was the silver symbol of a flying raven with eight circling stars.

_Hidden Stars! Hoshikage! _

"So, you are the man she loves," Hoshikage said, limping forwards, with one hand supporting the other.

_So, she's injured as well, though, not as severe as Kyuubi's… _

Smiling grimly, she introduced herself, "Oh dear, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Seiya of Karasunaki clan, Hoshikage of the Hidden Stars."

"Kazama Arashi, Hokage of the Hidden Leaf, I will be your opponent, fight me!"

With that creepy smile still on her face, she laughed. "You think that you are worthy of the Kages of the demon world!" Dashing forward, Seiya transformed into her half beast form, her cloaks opened up to become her wings, and her hands turned into talons.

"Doton: Doryuuheki (Earth Type: Mudslide Barrier)!"

Instantly, Arashi released out waves of mud from his mouth, forming hardened walls in the way of Seiya. Turning around, she bounced off the shielding wall, pushing herself upwards. Now flying low in mid-air, Seiya let out a high pitch scream, weakening the barrier between them.

As the earth wall weakened and crumbled into dust, Arashi leaped off to one side, while throwing shuriken towards Seiya. Waving her wings about, she deflected all projectiles with the wind created.

"Hahaha! You are no match for me, you are not needed for this fate, get out while you still can, Kazama-san!" Seiya said, serious about her proposition. "Someone will need to look after the baby after Uzumaki-san is dead!"

"Never!" shouted the Hokage, as he gathered chakra into his hands.

"So be it! Kaze Dangan (Wind Bullets)!"

"Sousei Rasengan (Twin Spiral Shot)!"

Seiya concentrated her will into her wings, releasing magical feather bullets at Arashi, meanwhile, the Hokage used two Rasengan, one on each hand. Using the Rasengan in his left hand, he pushed himself off the ground, while the other Rasengan in his right hand was aimed towards the Hoshikage.

With the Rasengan in his right hand, he deflected all the bullets, meanwhile, raising his left hand with the Rasengan still intact, he threw the chakra ball at the flying demon to distract her. As she dodged the first thrown Rasengan, she turned to face the second aimed Rasengan coming towards her.

As explosion engulfed the two of them, Arashi landed roughly, last hearing Seiya from shouting: "Kaben Toku (Petal Shield)!"

True enough, as he looked up to the still airborne Seiya, she was unharmed, using her wings to create a magical barrier.

_She actually survived a direct Rasengan! _

Laughing at his pathetic attacks, Seiya gave her last warning to the Hokage, "This is between the Moon and the Stars, do not interfere!"

"She's right, Arashi, leave this battle to us!" a voice came suddenly from behind him.

"Kyuubi!" the two of them called out her name at the same time, turning to one side, they saw the Tsukikage walking out from the dense vegetations.

"Arashi, in our worlds, Kages are not chosen, they are breed for the very purpose, and it is the fate of the Kages to destroy the other Kage for the survival of our villages! Release!" In a puff of smoke, Kyuubi grew nine tails and a pair of fox ears, now in her half form, she readied herself for any attacks.

"Hahaha! Now, that is the Kyuubi I know, I was really upset when you are constantly running away from me!" Seiya taunted her rival.

"Seiya, I will not forgive you for trying to harm my son!"

"Fool! I'm helping you, that half-blood is corrupting your soul! We may be rivals, but I deserve a fair match between the two of us!"

"If it's a fair match you want, you got it! Full Release!" shouted Kyuubi, crossing her hands to form a complex series of seals.

"Full Release," Seiya merely called out the keyword without having to do the seals to release her true form in a very calm manner. Almost too happy to say anything, she finally got the fight she so desired, two demons battling it out in their true forms.

"Kyuubi!" Arashi shouted, trying to catch what happened with the two of them, as heavy smoke rose from nowhere and surrounding them. Before he knew it, the earth shook from the new presences of two gigantic creatures, a red fox with nine tails, and a four-winged black bird with long neck and tail feathers.

In the distance, he could hear the alarms going off, guards must have spotted the two demons, and soon Jounins would be dispatch to deal with _both_ demons!

Biting his finger to draw blood, he drew in one hand with the blood the seal to summon. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique), Gama Bunta!"

**"What do you wake me for!"** a voice roared from within another puff of smoke, out appearing the colossal red king of all toads.

"Listen up, Boss! You must help me stop this fight!" Arashi shouted over the chaos, with the demonic bird still fluttering her wings, while Kyuubi was swinging about her tails wildly.

**"What! Uzumaki of the Moon, and Karasunaki of the Stars! What are they doing here!" **

"You know them!"

**"What have you gotten yourself into, kid?" **

"You must help Kyuubi! We must stop this battle regardless of what happens!"

**"Gaaa!"** shouted Gama Bunta, as he tried to dodge the monstrous version of the previous Kaze Dangan.

**"Get out of the way, Gama Bunta, if you know what's better!"** the black phoenix-like creature telepathically warned them.

**"Get out of here, Arashi!"** the other fox-like monster shouted into their minds as well.

"Come on, Boss! What are you waiting for!"

**"Grrr,"** Gama Bunta considered, the little human had been his friend, and possibly the best toad summoner he would ever see in his lifetime. **"Now I'm mad, Karasunaki! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"**

**"Then die as well, ally of the Moon!"** Seiya shouted as she flew to attack them.

**"Kitsune Hinote (Fox Fire)!"** Kyuubi shouted, using her tails to ignite fireballs, which she batted them off in Seiya's direction. **"Don't forget me, Seiya!"**

As the three of them fought, Sarutobi arrived with the infant in his arms, suddenly summoned by the alarms rang, he did not had the time to put the baby in a safe place. Briefed by Jounins that rang the alarms, he watched in the distance as Gama Bunta fought with two other demons. He looked around, having an instinct that the woman that fled from his place just half an hour ago might be here somewhere.

**"Boy! It looked like your friend won't be much help in the fight, she's too hurt for any use. There is only one way for us to defeat a Heaven class demon like themselves, and that's the forbidden sealing technique. While I hold them here, go and retrieve the Hidden Leaf's Forbidden Scroll!"** Unfortunately for them, because of how loud Gama Bunta's voice was, basically both demons heard his plan anyway.

"The Forbidden Scroll!" Arashi questioned.

**"Quick, there is not much time left, you must get the scroll here, then I will direct you to where you can find that sealing jutsu!" **

Taking a brief look at the battle, Arashi bite his lips, resisting the urge to remain here to help Kyuubi, leaping off from Gama Bunta's head, he leaped from treetop to treetop, heading back to the village.

Seiya flew off to catch Arashi, as Gama Bunta blocked her in her path with his blade. **"You are not going anywhere!" **

Seeing the chance, Kyuubi came forward, and sank her fangs down hard into Seiya's neck. Shrieking loudly, she cut Kyuubi with her razors-like wings, causing the fox demon to leap back in pain.

Arashi could hear their screams, but not wanting to slow down, he was forced to continue onwards towards the central tower in the middle of the village, as the Hokage, he knew where the Forbidden Scroll was hidden, after all, he had many times stole it out time and time again even before becoming a Kage.

Ignoring the calls of many who were confused, he ran back into his office and retrieved a huge scroll from a hidden compartment. Hoping all this time that he would not be too late by the time he returned.

Meanwhile, at the battlefield, Jounins and Chuunins gathered, not knowing what to do, as the giant toad they identified as their ally kept warning them to stay away. Acting as the temporary leader in the confusion, Sarutobi trusted Gama Bunta and ordered the men to stay back.

In the distance, the giant fox collapsed onto the ground, as Gama Bunta came forward to block the giant raven's attack. **"Get up! I can't protect you forever!"**

Struggling onto her paws, she ran off just in time as Gama Bunta distracted Seiya, running around in a circle to catch Seiya off guard. Spinning to hit Seiya with all of her nine tails, she knocked Seiya off the sky. Crushing down, Seiya was temporary disabled from shock, and Kyuubi went for the final kill.

**"Look out!"** Gama Bunta warned as Seiya disappeared into a pile of feathers, reappearing above Kyuubi, digging her talons into the flesh of Kyuubi.

Though outnumbered and severely low on her chakra reserve, Seiya was nevertheless winning, but she had not forgotten about the Hokage that had ran off earlier to get this scroll that could defeat her. Not wanting to overestimate her enemies, she decided that a desperate measure called for a desperate action, instantly transforming back to her half form, at the risk of being struck down by the full-grown Kyuubi.

Gliding fast but low near the trees, she spotted what she wished for, Kyuubi's child, in the hands of an old man. What a caretaker they had hired, changing her talons back into hands, she swooped low to snatch the baby from his hands.

It was so dark that Sarutobi mistaken the movement of the raven demon to be mere wind, at losing the baby, he tried to catch up, but as the thief flew higher and higher, and Sarutobi eventually lost sight of her. Arashi came just in time to see it happening.

"Sorry, boy, to get you involve again, but your mother is a pest," she said as she flew higher away from the canopy of the forest. When Seiya came into sight of Kyuubi, the mother instantly recognised her child, screaming furiously, Kyuubi almost lost control to her rage.

"Gama Bunta!" Through the contract between the two of them, despite being not able to physically hear his call, Gama Bunta was able to detect when he was needed, and came as close as he could before his summoner.

**"Quick, get on, kid!"** As Arashi climbed onto Gama Bunta's back, the Boss Toad continued, **"Open the scroll to the very last section, kid!"**

"Fuuin Jutsu Shiki Fuujin?" Arashi said as he read out loud the name of the jutsu, down below, near Gama Bunta's webbed feet, Sarutobi's face twisted with horror.

"No! Arashi, do not use that!" he shouted, as he tried to get on Gama Bunta by climbing onto a nearby tree then preparing to jump over. However, before Arashi could get an answer out of the older ex-Hokage, Gama Bunta hopped off towards Kyuubi and Seiya, leaving Sarutobi behind.

"Wait, Boss! Sarutobi-sensei got something to say!" Arashi yelled over noises of trees breaking underneath Boss' feet. "Or… do you know what he was going to say?"

**"It's the things you like to play with… You seem to got fond of liking things that are out of your own boundary, but this time, even I, a Hell class demon can't help you in this, unless… To defeat a Heaven class demon, there is no other way." **

"What are you talking about! Surely Kyuubi can defeat Seiya!"

**"Look at her! She's in no condition in winning a conflict like this!" **

"Then tell me! What is the Fuuin Jutsu Shiki Fuujin!"

**"It's the absolute way to defeat anything, by sealing both the soul of the caster and the target." **

"Heh, so I have to die with that bitch?" Arashi said sarcastically before burying his concentration into reading the scroll.

**_Kazama Arashi, the only man I know who will not hesitate to use it. Good luck my friend, I will do my best to bring her down to you. _**

Not forgetting that she was dealing with a toad after all, slimy jumping creatures, Seiya kept herself out of the reach of that toad. Unconsciously cuddling the baby in her hands, she smoothed the crying baby by stroking his golden hair.

_Now, to finish off Kyuubi, and end this game once and for all. _

Like a rabid hound, Kyuubi prowled around her target, trying to hurdle herself off at tiny Seiya, but to the eyes of Seiya, she was seeing fear. Laughing at the injured Kyuubi's feeble state, she taunted her rival every time she swoops right pass her claws.

**"Rarrr!" **

Seiya turned to look at the leaping toad, with the human standing on him. _Damn! While playing with Kyuubi, I have totally forgotten about those two! Whatever they are up to, they can't do anything if they can't reach me!_

As she soared upwards, escaping from the toad, Kyuubi leaped on her own, unable to use her jaws for fear of biting her child, she tried to distract Seiya by obstruct her way upwards.

Suddenly, a thick tongue caught onto her, twisting the slimy tongue around her, holding her body tight.

"Let go, Gama Bunta! You are killing our baby as well!" shouted the Hokage.

Looking down, Seiya watched in horrors as she realised the toad was chocking the baby with his tongue, twisting her body to force her hands out, she pushed the baby out of the strangling tongue. As Gama Bunta tried to loosen his hold on Seiya, the raven demon accidentally lost her grip, causing the baby to fall out.

"Uzumaki-san! Catch him!" Seiya called out, staring in horror as the infant dropped down from her reach.

Running on Gama Bunta's tongue, Arashi prepared the hand seals, and as he came closer to the demon, he stretched his palms fore. "Fuuin Jutsu"

"The game's over! Uzumaki-san! You have won! Though I can't say I'm very pleased with the result" Smiling one last time, Seiya yelled out her final words before Arashi placed his hands onto her shoulders.

Not really aware of what was going to happen, Kyuubi focus all her remaining energy on rescuing her son. She aimed carefully, to position herself below the falling infant, hoping her thick coat of fur might save him.

"Shiki Fuujin!"

The blinding darkness swallowed up both the Hokage and the Hoshikage.

**x**

"He won't make it pass the night…," a nearby voice said, the voice sounded old and wise, someone who had seen a lot of deaths.

Opening her eyes, Kyuubi struggled to rise up from her laying position, she could see Gama Bunta, setting the corpse of Karasunaki Seiya beside the body of Kazama Arashi.

Kyuubi screamed, not believing what was seen by her very eyes, and tried to crawl towards her partner. In the distance, Gama Bunta could only shake his head on the outcome of this battle.

"Sarutobi-sensei! The fox demon is awake!" someone said in the background.

Not paying attention to what was happening behind her, she did not notice Sarutobi handing over the infant to a Jounin standing beside him. As she crawled slowly towards the bodies of Arashi and Seiya, she felt a hand on her shoulder, turning, she saw the old man whom Arashi left her with.

"I'm sorry," the old man softly said. Still not knowing her name, Sarutobi did not know how to comfort her on her loses.

Suddenly remembering the baby, she looked at her empty hands, then straight into the eyes of the old ex-Hokage.

"No! Don't tell me that…"

The Jounin in the background nervously stood about, with the baby in his hands. Gasping, Kyuubi ran towards her unusually silent son, upon reaching, she grabbed the infant off the hands of the Jounin, pushing him onto the ground.

Kyuubi fell onto her knees, embracing the barely breathing and bleeding baby, mumbling something that could not be heard among the crowds. As Jounins and Chuunins gathered to take care of their Hokage's body, Kyuubi recalled of how Arashi used to say that the Forbidden Scroll had all sorts of jutsu for anything possible.

Seeing the fox demon gathering her remaining strength, and sprinting towards the body of Arashi and the scroll, Gama Bunta could not help but to whisper the last hint for today.

**"Turn to the last section, Uzumaki-sama,"** the toad said before disappearing into a puff of smoke.

As a few shinobi tried to react according to what they should do to prevent an outsider from even touching the Forbidden Scroll, Sarutobi stopped them by raising a hand, indicating for them to stop.

"Fuuin Jutsu Shiki Fuujin," Kyuubi read aloud, her last hope, to save their son from death from a wound that a half-breed like himself could not live through.

Preparing to summon the Shinigami, she was ready to embed her own soul into her son's body, only her healing power could help him live through the night.

"I will always be there for you, my son."

* * *

**Epilogue**  
_Last Updated: 8th June 04_

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**

"Kyuubi!" Naruto shouted, before him, an iron gate several times taller than he was, the only thing between him and the demon.

**"Why are you here again, kid?" **

"I need your power once more! I need your red chakra!"

**"To do what?" **

"To defend those I love and care about."

**_You are growing up right before me, Naruto, my son. _**

"Hey, stupid fox! I'm letting you stay in my body, so, instead of rent, lend me your chakra!"

**_When the time is right, Naruto, I will tell you the truth. _**

"Well!"

**"Noisy kid! Here, take my chakra, and leave me alone!" **

Grinning, Naruto accepted the red chakra from the fox demon.

**_When the time is right… _**


	5. Previous version, 3 chapters in total

**Act 1: Genin  
****Chapter 1: Between Heaven and Earth****  
**

**

* * *

**The cool wind blew against his body, without opening his eyes, the young blonde Genin felt around his surroundings with his hands, and could feel the moist grass beneath him. It did not take long for him to notice the smell of morning dew all around him. _Where am I?_ he wondered, he could not remember what happened. There was no sound of any wildlife, it was very serene, he felt that he could sleep on forever in this conditions. Coming back to his senses, he fought against the urge to fell asleep again, trying to gain an understanding of what happened. He tried to recall, but nothing came in mind, whatever that had happened, it must have drained him, he could barely move.

Something poked him on his right cheek, realising he was not alone, he tried to move, but could only move so slowly, lifting his right hand to shield his eyes, the barely conscious kid opened his eyes to a pair of line-like slits, opening them wide enough just to gain a sense of what was going on. The image before him was blurry, and unfocused, all he could see was another person beside him. He used his other hands to fend off the poking, and tried to sit upright.

He felt a pair of hands supporting him to sitting position, he tried again to see what was going on, but everything around him was too bright, he felt like as though he had walked through an eternal road of darkness, and now anything that reflected off the moon could blind him. It took him a while for his eyes to adjust to the brightness, it was obviously daytime, dawn maybe; now prepared, he turned to face the one who was still poking him on his face.

A stick in hand, squatting down with the other hand tucked in-between the belly and the tights, it was a girl of around his age. One with burning red hair, let loose in the wind, fluttering wild in the morning breeze, an equally red pair of ruby eyes, and an oh-too-cute smile on her face. Her attire was simple, a white sleeveless dress that ended slightly above the knees, the material of the dress was thin, and he turned immediately after realising that he was staring too much. But then again, the girl had been staring perhaps even more, she still was anyway; not to mention the poking had not stop even after he was sitting upright (the poking had moved on to his right arm).

"Are. You. Awake?" The girl, still armed with the stick, ended each word with a poke to his arm.

"Hey… Stop that…" He tried to grab hold of the stick in her hand, preparing to throw it away from the dangerous hand that threatened to poke him to death, but the girl mischievously evaded his attempts.

Suddenly throwing the stick away, she dusted off her white dress before standing up. "Come, let's go, the sun is rising, we better find ourselves a shelter." Saying so, she extended her hand, offering her support once more.

"Huh?" Still too stunned to understand the situation he was in, he readily accepted the helping hand, his legs were still wobbly, whether from numbness or exhaustion, he did not know. Soon after he found his feet back on the ground once more, the hand that was supporting him before started pulling him, grabbing hold of his sleeves, the girl started leading him away from the initial spot.

"Come on! It's dangerous out here now that the day is up, there are creatures and monsters out here who prey on us young ones. Not to mention the Black Wind that lurks in the shadows, it too can still pose a threat despite the sun been up. The only safe place around here is the Hidden Village, we must make haste, and return to shelter!" Now led by the hand, the blonde Genin was forced to pick up pace as the girl started into a slow run. Almost tripping on himself, he quickly tried to catch up.

"Hey wait up!"

"Don't worry, we are reaching the village soon, then we can rest all we want!"

"Which village is that?"

"Gesshoku, the Hidden Village of the Moonlight of course, there are no other nearby villages beside Gesshoku, I don't know where you are from, but for now, just follow me, it's just too dangerous for us to stay out without the cover of the night." Pausing for a while, she pointed off into the distance. "There! We can now see the village now!"

For a Hidden Village, it was certainly standing out in the open, surrounded by nothing but grass plains; it had a huge circular wall surrounding it, much like the one fencing up Konoha, separating it from the dense forest around it.

"Come on! Let's make a dash for it!" Her very little voices hinted of some hidden danger, unfamiliar to the surrounding, he chose to follow her advice instead, with their hands still joined together, they ran across the plains, as the sun rose up steadily. He could detect eyes spying them, predators or guards? The opening gates of the Hidden Village answered that question for him, but the opening was small, it too hinting of any danger that could bash its way through, and they could only open the gates to such extend.

Increasing their speed, they quickly made their way through the already closing gates, finally the eyes he felt materialised before them, big bulky man with shark-like face, clad in black clothing and a dark blue jacket, much like what the Leaf shinobi wore back home, but theirs appeared to be more suitable for night missions.

The ragged face came with an equally hoarse voice, "Next time, we'll let the Wind tears you up, Uzumaki-chan." The other guard, who also had a similar shark-like face, chuckled. The boy could have sworn that the gills like tattoos on the face moved as he spoke to them.

"Come on, let's ignore those bullies, they know that their clan is not good enough to be compared with us, that's why they are the guards." One of the guards quickly snared at her, but she led the kid off into the alley nearby long before he could threaten (pester) her any longer.

As they ran through the village, the surrounding sceneries reminded him very much of home, with busy merchants doing their busy deeds, as well as the hidden eyes he could felt watching them since they entered the village, local Anbu patrols perhaps?

"Phew, we made it in time." Leaping in pure excitement once they had exited the alley, "Come on! I'll show you my place. Oh yeah, we forgot something very important!" Pausing to hold both his hands within hers, "My name is Uzumaki Kyuukagetsu, nice to meet you."

His face reddened with embarrassment, but once that he calm down, he replied, "I'm Kazama Arashi, I'm happy to meet you too."

**

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**

_Next Chapter Preview: Just how strange can this world be?_

**Author: 'Kazama Arashi' is the name I chose for the future Yondaime of Konoha, it's a pretty common fan-made name for the 4th.**

**

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**_Previous Chapter Recap: Kazama Arashi met Uzumaki Kyuukagetsu, a mysterious girl in a mysterious world._

**Act 1: Genin  
****Chapter 2: Touched by the Moonlight**

**

* * *

**The two of them travelled up a single flight of stairs, arriving in front of what appeared to be the home of Kyuukagetsu. "Welcome to my humble abode," the girl said as they removed a key from around her neck and unlocked the door.

"Is it okay for me, a perfect stranger to enter your house?" _Is it okay for me to enter a girl's room?_

"Haha, how are we strangers anymore? I know your name, you know mine, beside, the Uzumaki clan is not feared by most other clans for a reason, we are powerful, and I, myself, is very well capable of defending my territory." She sure looked different back when she was constantly reminding him of the danger outside the Hidden Village. "Come, come, take a seat!"

For a member of a powerful clan, Uzumaki Kyuukagetsu sure owned a very humble apartment indeed, a little more than four walls, with just a bed, a stove, and a table right in the middle, it did not fit someone of powerful status.

Kyuukagetsu directed Arashi over to a stool by the bed, and quickly went over to the stove and picked up a kettle. Filling it with tap water, she placed it on the stove, and turned it on, a small flame ignited powered by the gas supply. "Hungry?" Opening the cupboard to reveal several bowls of instant ramen, "Oh well, hehe, I hope you don't mind having ramen as breakfast, that's all I have anyway."

"Do you really live here alone? Where are your family?" Arashi realised he had hit jackpot, the girl before him was stunned, he could read her actions despite her face turned away from him, she was speechless. Kyuukagetsu opened up one of the instant ramen, and poured the still cold water from the kettle into it, either she got a taste for cold uncooked noodles, or she had something on her mind.

Feeling guilty for ruining the mood, Arashi went over the window, and tried to think hard of something to change the subject with. Below, he saw street merchants preparing to set up stalls, and a few others in colourful headband climbing on ladders to decorate the side of the walls and top of the street lamps with ribbons and lanterns. _A festival?_

"Is a festival going on?"

"It will be the full moon tonight," her voice remained moody, Arashi could not understand, did he offended her somehow again? He dared not turn away to look at Kyuukagetsu in the eyes, doing so might make him even more guilty. "The moon reveals all, the moonlight is at its peak of power during a full moon, even the most powerful of all will be forced into revealing their true self. Well, I can't wait to see what you really look like, I observed you the whole time while you were unconscious last night, and even though it was a near full moon, your true form remained hidden. I can't wait! I wonder what you really are!"

The conversation was getting weirder by the minute. But he was glad that she seemed better now, with his back still turned to Kyuukagetsu, he pretended to be looking out the window, and could hear the girl pouring out the spoilt contents of the bowl ramen, while putting the kettle back onto the stove. _What did she meant?_

**x**

After their breakfast, they spent some time walking the street, it seemed as though most people knew Kyuukagetsu, most avoided her, walking a big round just to do so. _It must have hurt a lot. Somehow, you are lonely in such a big village._ Since their conversation this morning, Kyuukagetsu did not recover fully back to her old cheerful self, Arashi wished he knew of some way of cheering Kyuukagetsu up.

Kyuukagetsu introduced Arashi to many places of Gesshoku, and mentioned the names of the clan people that walked by, all bearing strange names that he never heard of before. Like the proud samurai of clan Gama, one of the three most powerful clans in Gesshoku, along with the clan Chou and the clan Karasunaki. They also met a few of the merchants from clan Umineko, the wealthiest of all clans, controlling most of the export business; more guards of the shark-like Wanizame clan; and even a few Uzumaki clan members whom Kyuukagetsu chose to avoid.

"Well? Remembering anything yet?"

"Huh?"

"What do you mean 'huh'? You didn't think I bring you all over the village just for fun do you? I thought that you should be able to remember who you are by now."

"What do you mean who I am?"

"You mentioned you don't know how you got here, but there are barren lands all around Gesshoku, the next nearest Hidden Village is Boufuu, the Hidden Village of the Storm, and that's miles away, so the logical answer to that is that you are really from Gesshoku. Where else could you be from anyway?"

_Boufuu, the Hidden Village of the Storm? Another unfamiliar name…_ "You misunderstood me, I'm not from Moonlight, nor Storm, I am a Genin of Konoha, the Hidden Village of the Leaf."

"Oh, I thought that maybe you lost your memories or something, I never heard of Konoha before…" Raising her eyebrows a little, showing signs that she still did not believe fully of what he said, as if he just jested, and it's not a funny joke. "Oh well," was all she said, as she continued on taking the role of the tour guide.

**x**

Once they returned back to Kyuukagetsu's home, Arashi spent hours telling her of his homeland, of Konoha, of the Fire Country, of the forest, of the Kazama clan, and even about the famous three Hokages of Konoha, but yet, none of which Kyuukagetsu even heard of. He continued on to the other countries he heard of, and other Hidden Villages, but again, to no results.

Then it was her turn to tell him more of this land, apparently Gesshoku and Boufuu were bitter enemies, the Chou of Gesshoku hated the Dokuga of Boufuu, while the Haundo of Boufuu hated the Uzumaki of Gesshoku, so on and so fore, it looked like there was no clan in either villages that did not hate one clan of the other village. Of all battles between the two villages, the most famous was the war between the Gama katana-wielding shinobi and the cunning Hebidoku shinobi that specialised in poisonous attacks, apparently their leaders had lived for _hundreds of years_, and had been fighting since.

Arashi was lost in Kyuukagetsu's tales of her world, he could not decide whether to believed it or not, she mentioned a lot of names, many of whom were leaders of their clans, and all of them lived for hundreds of years. _Gama Bunta… Manda… where have I heard of these names before?_

Sounds of firecrackers erupted outside the apartments, during their exchange of stories, the two of them failed to notice the setting sun (and that they missed dinner), and that the party had already started. Arashi walked towards the window, letting the light of the moon shined on him, the crowd below seemed to be having a lot of fun, all of them seemed to be an animal costume or another, and just when he was about to ask Kyuukagetsu to go down with him to the streets, he heard a gasp from behind.

Arashi turned to see Kyuukagetsu with her eyes wide opened, and a hand over her mouth. _Shock? Fear? Surprise? What's wrong?_ He looked at his hands, nothing seemed to change, he did not turn into a monster or something, he looked towards the window glass panels, the reflections told him the same as well-

Suddenly something flew by, men and women of black feathery wings, and he could recognise the symbol of the Karasunaki on their tunics. He looked down, to see most of the people below have a small part of animal features: the Chou had their butterfly-like wings; the Wanizame seemed to have grown in size, their skin giving off a greyish-blue tint; but not as big as some of the red humanoids of the Gama clan, all of them carrying a jar of sake in one hand (and carrying a couple of katanas on their side).

Kyuukagetsu moved to stand behind the astonished blonde Genin, her hands around around his waist, "Don't look at me," was all she said. In the reflections of the window panels, Arashi could see the fox ears sprouting out from the side of her head, followed by nine tails, all moving gracefully along the rhythm of the music below.

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_Next Chapter Preview: "Kyuukagetsu is a demon? All of them are demons?"_

**Author: Hmmm, useless fact of the day: this chapter title also comes from a part of a song's lyrics…**

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_Previous Chapter Recap: As Kyuukagetsu led Arashi around the village, he discovered this world to be a total difference from his own, and he finally ffound out about the truth, when moonlight fall upon Kyuukagetsu, revealing her to be a nine-tailed fox demon, and that they were at the demon world._

**Act 1: Genin  
****Chapter 3: Monster**

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"It turned out I was right after all, though this, surprises even me." The tip of her left furry ear brushed down Arashi's neck, as she rested her head on his right shoulder. "I knew you are special, like I am, though this is beyond my wildest dreams."

"What is this place?" His voice was unnaturally calm, it frightened him, knowing that he could still put the words in his mouth under such circumstances. Trapped in a world full of demons, and with the hands of one wrapped right around him right now.

In an instant while his mind was still in confusion, her hands moved, removing themselves from around his body, one of which reached forward. Instinct instructed his body to reach out for the kunai hidden in his pouch, which he did, he did a turn, and placed one kunai on the throat of the fox demon, the window shutters dropped from their positions, covering the room from the light of the moon, placing them back in darkness again.

Her right hand still on the string controlling the window shutters, she placed her other hand on the kunai, "Keen on killing me now? I merely thought that the two of us should attract as little attention from the crowd below as possible." Her face reminded emotionless, and Arashi was devastated to know that he was ready to strike at his friend, the one who tried to help him, the moonlight 'reveals all,' right now, the moonlight told him of a hidden self within him, one who was frightened all of things strange, one who was willing to turn against another just because of other appearances.

_What are we doing? One minute friends, the other minute enemies_? Yet Arashi could not bring himself to stand down from his offensive position, his kunai remained hovering near her throat.

Kyuukagetsu took a step back, taking no heed on the presence of kunai, "You can't kill me with a single blade like that, I am the Kyuubi, the greatest of all foxes, one granted by heaven to bear the greatest power known to us demons."

_Loneliness._ He could see it within her crimson eyes, but yet, what was she doing threatening him like so? _No! I was the one who failed to trust her, my body told her so, I betrayed her, I reached out for my weapon while all she did was to close the shutter, possibly saving me from been seen by the others._

"I'm… I'm sorry." He returned the kunai to the poach, backing up, and resting against the closed windows.

For the moment, the two of them were in a separated world, sealed off by private emotions and thoughts. Arashi looked up, to see Kyuukagetsu returned to her human form, there was no indication that the transformation ever did happened, except for the torn dress which was shredded to pieces by the sudden emergence of the nine crimson tails.

The silence continued on throughout the rest of the night.

**x**

Sounds of the crowd below clearing up the rubbish and decorations woken Arashi from his sleep, there was no dream, yet, Arashi felt mentally exhausted. His neck ached a bit to make him realised that he was sitting against the wall, the window just above his head, and a blanket around him.

There was no one else in the room, Kyuukagetsu was not in here with him, the apartment was pathetically small, small enough for him to be able to spot her if she was in the apartment.

He stood, and exited the apartment on his own for the first time, he went for the streets.

**x**

The village looked different under this new perspective, men with scary faces, women with strange long arms, the whole scenes somehow made a bit more sense than before now.

"Hey kid!"

The blonde Genin snapped back from his deep thought, a guard of an unknown clan was before him, on his back, an ominous sword of great length.

Trying to reply back in a calmly manner, "Yes?"

The guard said nothing, but stared at him, another guard of a similar clan was walking up to join up with his companion.

"What are you?" The first guard snapped.

Arashi gave a few quick thoughts of some possible answers, and their resulting outcome, what answer could he give, that would not give him a death penalty, possibly on the count of trespassing? Would he be treated as a human spy in this demonic world? Fighting his way out was certainly impossible, definitely not with a village of this many population.

The second guard came closer, whispering something into the ears of the first's, whom quickly narrowed his own set of eyes. The two guards took a step forward, as Arashi tried to think of something.

"Kyuubi-sama!" Suddenly, it all went quiet, the merchants around them, who were previously ignoring the scene, suddenly looked up. The guards started taking steps backward, as Arashi turned to find a smiling Kyuukagetsu, with her right index finger on her lips, and making a soft 'shhh' sound.

"Ahem, is this young lad with you, Uzumaki-san," the second guard quickly shot at the two of them, after giving a tight slap to the back of the head of the first guard, who was obviously unnerved already.

"Yeah, he's Arashi, my friend, any problem with that?" Putting her hands around his, she continued to give this tight forced smile which revealed her tiny canine teeth.

"Erm, no, not at all, please move on, civilian." The two guards moved off rather quickly. The two kids shoved through the crowd as well, away from the staring crowd, it did not take long for the street to liven up again, once the threat was gone.

"Thanks! Kyuu-chan! You saved-"

They were still running, but this sudden words from him slowed her down.

"Say again?"

Puzzled, Arashi replied, "Huh?"

"What did you call me?" The red headed girl asked again.

"Erm… Kyuu-chan?"

Something warm moved in her heart, it had been a long time since anyone called her that, but then again, few dared anyway.

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_Next Chapter Preview: Finally a plot!_


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